Time
by Raven and Writing Desks
Summary: He had returned, but she has been avoiding him. Maybe it will all just take time. SasuSaku. One-shot


**Time**

Only a few months had past since Sasuke's return to Konoha. The raven haired, 17 year old walked down the street. Multiple people going on with their daily business stopped to give a respectful nod or wish him a good day. After all, he was the one who killed Orochimaru and one of the dreaded Akatsuki members. By now everybody had accepted him. Sasuke sees a hint of pink out of the corner of his eye.

Well, almost everybody.

Sasuke runs ahead in order to catch up with the petal haired medic who had been avoiding him since his return.

"Sakura!" At hearing his voice, the kunoichi visibly stiffens. However, she does not turn around to greet him. In fact, she picks up her pace and turns off of the main road.

_Damn it. Why can't he just leave me alone? _Sakura slips through the tree line and onto the old stone path that is hardly used. She debates jumping into the trees and hiding from Sasuke, not that he wouldn't be able to find her with his Sharigan, but perhaps he'd get the hint and realize that she _really _didn't want to talk to him. She quickly rules that option out though. She was grown up; the second best medic in the land of fire and an ANBU captain. She no longer desires feelings for Sasuke. (Though just because she doesn't desire them doesn't mean that they're not there.)

Sakura merely quickens her pace more and starts heading up the old stone staircase. She always loves walking this path; the sun and blue sky just barely peeks through the tree canopy and bright summer flowers of all different colors are visible through the tall grasses. If Sasuke wasn't following her, she would stop and maybe even sniff a few.

But alas, the stubborn Uchiha was right on her tail.

"Sakura, stop!" Underneath the monotone voice, a sense of pleading was laced. "Sakura will you just listen to me!"

At this, green eyes spin around and glare into endless black ones. "Why should I?" Her tone is calm but biting. "You put Naruto, your best friend, through hell! You betrayed Konoha! You made Kakashi regret everything! You left me on a fucking bench after I poured out my heart to you! Forgive me if I'm a bit apprehensive in letting you squirm your way back into my good graces!" By the end whatever composure was present in her voice was replaced by complete and absolute rage.

"You know why I had to leave." His response is as cool as ever, though his eyes betrayed the emotionless facade by showing a flash of hurt.

"So you could gain power and kill your brother! How'd that work out for you?" The rage sharpens to pure ice. She knew it was low to mention his brother, she had read the report Sasuke had written about Itachi, but she wanted to cause him the same pain he inflicted on her when he left. His departure had motivated Naruto to leave for further training, leaving her completely and utterly alone. That time without Naruto had been the coldest and loneliest time of her life. Of course, she had Kakashi, but now, he was merely a shell hiding a dying man inside.

Sasuke doesn't let the kunoichi see the pain her words had caused. Instead, he takes it as an opportunity to step forward and grab her by the shoulders. At first he thinks she'll shrug him off, but she just stands there, her pained eyes looking into his.

"Sakura, I was wrong to leave. That's why I came back, to make things right." His usually stoic eyes are pleading with her to understand. "I should have never left Konoha, I should have never left you." His strong hands move down her bare arms to her hands. _Warm and soft, even with all the calluses and scars. _He regards them.

The warm summer breeze floats around them making Sakura's red dress flow and wrap against her legs. Sasuke looks at her eyes. They weren't the same bright emeralds that were filled with naivety and false hopes of a perfect life. No. These eyes were hardened by pain and determination. Being a part of the ANBU she had probably seen enough to cause intense psychological damage in other people. But Sakura was strong. She had matured so much. She possessed the face of an angel, but was filled with a heart of steal.

"You did leave though," Sakura mutters, the earlier anger long gone, replaced by hurt. It was as if Sasuke was tearing down the wall that she had spent forever building around herself since he left. Too easily, all her raw emotions were coming back to the surface.

"You did leave." She repeats, her bottom lip trembling slightly. "I was alone, wondering what I did wrong. Taunting myself that I hadn't done my best to stop you. Torturing myself with the thoughts of you and Naruto never coming back. Crying myself to sleep at night. Telling myself that if I were stronger you guys wouldn't have left. Training until all thoughts of you were gone. At least, that's what I always told myself." Sakura's voice grows soft as she utters the last sentence.

Inside she is conflicted; hadn't she spent all these years preparing herself so that she wouldn't fall for Sasuke again, hadn't she banished all hope of anything ever happening between them. Yet here she was falling apart in front of him.

"Sakura, I came back." Sasuke says. He interlocks his fingers with hers.

"Sasuke–" Sakura starts to reprimand as she pulls away from him, but her words are cut off as cool lips touch hers. The strong hands that were clasping hers only a moment ago move to her waist.

It was a quick kiss, but it was enough to send the last of Sakura's covered up emotions spinning out of control. The hands leave her waist and the lips leave her mouth, but dark eyes remain firmly locked on hers.

"I came back to fix this," he gestures with his hands, indicating that he meant the two of them. "I want, no, I _need_ to fix this fracture that I caused in our relationship." His hands move back to the fair skin of Sakura's shoulders. "I'm not asking for you to forgive everything right now, but please consider letting me back into your life." He drops his hands limply to his sides. "That's all I had to say. I'll leave you alone now."

The defeated ninja turns and starts heading back down the stone steps, his blue shorts blowing in the wind.

_That's all I could have done. I really hurt her and she needs her space._ He thinks to himself sadly. _I fucked up… Maybe she'll never forgive me._

However, almost as soon as he thinks it, the last thought is banished from his mind when he feels a small, soft hand slip into his own.

_Maybe it will all just take time. _


End file.
